The Brits have for centuries put their coastline to good use; smuggling, surfing and sand castle construction being among the most significant. According to the USA's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) we've got around 12,000 miles of the stuff, (if you're reading this, thanks for the info). Chalk cliffs to wide open beaches, to funfairs to fortresses; some of our beaches even have whiter sands than those found on the shoreline of Barbados, while others don't have sand at all, only pebbles. Which is a shame.